The owner of an in-home daycare center in Alpharetta has appealed the state’s decision to revoke her license after a 3-year-old boy in her care died from asphyxiation.
Janna Thompson, of Alpharetta, previously operated Ms. Janna's Daycare and was licensed by The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. But on July 30, the agency revoked her license after an investigation into the death of Thomas Maxwell Stephens, of Roswell.
“A recent investigation by DECAL determined that rule violations contributed to the death of a child that was not medically anticipated,” Reg Griffin, agency spokesman, previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Thompson has filed an appeal to keep her license, and a hearing will be scheduled with the Office of State Administrative Hearings, Griffin said Wednesday. That hearing has not yet been scheduled.
On July 8, Max and another child were left alone outside while Thompson was inside, according to investigators. When Thompson returned outside, she found Max unresponsive on the slide with a piece of twine around his neck, Alpharetta police said.
The preschooler was transported to the hospital, where he later died from asphyxia, or lack of oxygen, according to police and the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office. Investigators believe the child’s death was attributed to hanging.
Last week, the boy's parents filed a civil lawsuit vs. Thompson. No criminal charges have been filed in the case.
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